


Silver Tinsel and Mistletoe

by Actual_Dunwich_Horror



Category: Starlight Express - Phillips/Stilgoe/Webber
Genre: 2018 StEx designs, Fluff, Holidays, M/M, Mistletoe, this is actually Elektra and Canoose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actual_Dunwich_Horror/pseuds/Actual_Dunwich_Horror
Summary: A couple weeks into December, Electra and the components were invited to the yard’s annual holiday party. He didn’t exactly want to go, but it’d be good for his image if he showed up, so he begrudgingly agreed.-Electra goes to a holiday party and has much more fun than he expects.
Relationships: CB | Caboose/Electra (Starlight Express)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Silver Tinsel and Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my gift for the 2020 StEx Secret Santa! To my wonderful friend, I hope you like this! It was a lot of fun to write and I'm a sucker for these two.
> 
> (Also note: Zero is 2018 Volta and Brandi is Belle the bar car. They have different names in my fanon 😅)
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!

It was winter time in the yard, and Electra  _ hated  _ it. It was too cold and the snow made it harder to skate, and it didn’t help that the days grew shorter, leaving Electra feeling worn out earlier and earlier.

It also happened to be the holiday season. The trains usually had separate traditions from the humans, but there were a few things that they adopted into their culture; specifically, the decorations. The holiday decorations were  _ everywhere _ , and it started to drive Electra wild. Reds and greens and blues and whites scattered the yard, and it didn’t help that almost everything had lights. Electra thought it was a disaster; but then again, he was fond of monochromatic color schemes. He was an engine of the future, after all.

A couple weeks into December, Electra and the components were invited to the yard’s annual holiday party. He didn’t exactly  _ want  _ to go, but it’d be good for his image if he showed up, so he begrudgingly agreed. He talked to the components about it beforehand and preferred that they stick with him, but not too long after their grand entrance Joule was gone in a flash. She  _ loved  _ parties, so Electra wasn’t surprised. Wrench stuck with him for a bit before she was suddenly caught up in a conversation with Momma McCoy about how different steam trains were from electrics. Oh well. At least Killerwatt and Zero were still sticking with him.

The electric made an effort to at least make small talk with some of the other trains; he managed to have a surprisingly civil conversation with Greaseball, and he even chatted with Carrie and Brandi about some of the more recent gossip that spread around the yard. Zero happened to be very,  _ very  _ interested in hearing the juicy details of the goings-on around the yard, but Electra eventually got bored, and Killerwatt continued to follow him until they bumped into a certain little brake van. Or rather,  _ he  _ bumped into  _ Electra.  _

“Oh! Well well well, look who showed up!” Caboose said as he backed away from Electra. He wore his trademark smug grin, and it made Electra want to shove his dumb little fedora in his face. 

“Please, it’s not like I had anything else to do.” Electra crossed his arms defensively as he glared down at Caboose. He didn’t actually  _ hate  _ him. Rather, Electra just liked to play along with his little games.

“Well, it’s good to see you! I feel like it’s been  _ ages  _ since our last little get-together, don’t you think?” Caboose took off his hat and dramatically held it over his chest as he leaned against Electra. The electric engine rolled his eyes and tried to push him away. Killerwatt snickered from behind Electra, and he made sure to shoot him a glare.

“It’s been three days… and that wasn’t a “little get-together”. That was me having to come save Zero because you told him his eyeliner wings were too big and he tried to start a fight with you.”

“Yeah, well, it feels like it’s been forever!”

Electra shook his head and followed Caboose as he began to skate backwards towards another part of the large shed where the party was held. Electra supposed that he was closest to the Caboose out of anyone there aside from his components, so maybe it wasn’t a horrible idea to stick along with him. Besides, he knew that the brake van was rather enamored with him, so there definitely wouldn’t be any objections. The only times Electra really regretted this decision was when Caboose started loudly (and badly) singing along with the holiday music that was playing, or when he tried to wrap tinsel around Electra.

“Aw come on, you’d make a gorgeous Christmas tree! And it even matches your colors!” Caboose whined as he gathered up the red and silver tinsel that Electra had shrugged off. 

Electra preened at being called gorgeous, even if the context wasn’t exactly favorable. “I’m gorgeous enough as is, Caboose,” he said, running a hand through his fan of fiber-optic-like hair.

It may have just been the lighting, but he could’ve swore that he saw the Caboose’s cheeks become rather flushed. It made Electra feel a swell of pride, getting that reaction, but rather than pondering it, he turned to Killerwatt.

“Are you having fun, dear?”

The security truck shrugged a bit awkwardly. “I don’t mind doing my job at a party, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No. I asked if you’re having fun. Why don’t you go join Zero? Enjoy yourself.”

Killerwatt’s eyebrows raised. “But-”

“No buts. I’ll be fine. I’ll contact you over our comms if I need anything. Now, go have fun.” Electra waved a hand in Killerwatt’s direction, as if shooing him away. Killerwatt seemed a bit hesitant to leave, but with a quick “thank you”, he was off to find Zero.

“What was that about? Afraid of your little minions ruining your fun?” Caboose laughed as he rolled up close to Electra.

“They’re my  _ components _ . And no. I just think KW deserves a night off every now and then. He’s a hard worker.” In the back of his mind, Electra  _ did  _ want to spend some uninterrupted time with the Caboose. He was growing rather fond of the little brake van, but he didn’t want to admit it. (Although, he was not lying about Killerwatt. He was never unimpressed by the lengths Killerwatt went to keep him safe.)

The two of them continued to stroll around the party, occasionally talking with others, but mostly each other. Caboose led most of the conversations, with Electra nodding along and providing his opinions when prompted, and it was surprisingly nice.

It was a few hours into the party when they stopped to chat in a doorway leading to the room with the snack tables after Caboose decided he wanted to try some of Dinah’s gingerbread cookies. Electra hadn’t paid any mind to where they were standing, until he suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of Carrie and Brandi squealing with delight.

“Ooo, Electra! You and Caboose are under the mistletoe, you know what that means!” Carrie said with a giggle.

Electra stared at them, confused, before looking up and finding a little plant hanging from the top of the doorframe.

“Mistletoe? It’s just some plant, what’s important about it?”

“When two people are underneath the mistletoe, they gotta kiss! It’s a tradition!” Brandi replied with a grin.

Electra huffed and looked down at Caboose, who was leaning smugly against the doorframe. It seemed that he’d known all along, the little shit. He supposed he could humor just one kiss. Caboose definitely wasn’t the worst person to be kissing at a holiday party.

“Alright, fine. One kiss?”

“Sure, just one,” Caboose said with a sly shrug and a wink. “But if you like it, I’m always open to more.” 

This caused the coaches to giggle, and it seemed that Zero had come back and joined in with them. He was  _ definitely  _ going to be given a talking-to about this.

Suddenly, Electra had an idea. He decided to ignore them and grabbed onto the dumb little chains on Caboose’s dumb little chest piece and pulled him forward so that they were flush together. He noticed the way that the brake van’s breath hitched suddenly; just as he’d intended.

“You ask for a show, you’ll get one,” He purred, before leaning down and kissing Caboose, long and deep. He felt Caboose freeze underneath him, and he definitely didn’t miss the excited little giggles that came from the direction of the coaches.

Once Electra pulled away, he couldn’t help but stare at the way that Caboose stared, starstruck, up at Electra. “Not bad,” Electra said with a satisfied grin. Caboose eventually shook himself out of his stupor, and scoffed at the electric. “Yeah yeah, I know, you electrics are the best at  _ everything. _ ”

“You know it, babe.”

Electra watched as Caboose went through an entire range of emotions, but before he could say anything, a rather rude flat car was shoving between them.

“Hey, quit blocking the door! I need some of that spiked eggnog. Move it, Caboose!” 

“Oh, shut it, Flat-Top!”

Almost immediately, Caboose was off to torment the brick truck, leaving Electra to stand there by himself. As he watched them argue, he got thinking that maybe, just maybe, he’d want to kiss that Caboose again.

And, maybe the holidays weren’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated.
> 
> Come talk about musicals with me on tumblr @mister-beetlejuice or on twitter @OutFrontInBack!


End file.
